1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier module in which a plurality of packaged chips are held firmly in position and a handler for handling a packaged chip for a test using the carrier modules.
2. Description of the Background Art
At the conclusion of a packaging process, a handler puts packaged chips through a series of environmental, electrical, and reliability tests. These tests vary in type and specifications, depending on the customer and use of the packaged devices. The tests may be performed on all of the packages in a lot or on selected samples.
The handler puts packaged chips into a test tray and supplies the test tray to a tester. The tester includes a test board with a plurality of sockets, performing an electrical test on the packaged chips. The packaged chips are inserted into the sockets of the test board for the electrical test. The handler puts the packaged chips into a test tray, i.e. a jig and connecting the packaged chips contained in a test tray into sockets of the test board. The handler sorts the packaged chips according to a test result. The handler removes packaged chips from a user tray and put the removed packaged chips into carrier modules of the test tray. The handler transfers the test tray to the tester. The handler removes tested packaged chips from the carriers of the test tray and places the tested packaged chips to a user tray.
The test tray is equipped with the carrier modules in which the packaged chips are placed. A distance between the packaged chips in the carrier modules is the same as that between the sockets of the test board.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional carrier module and a conventional test tray equipped with the conventional carrier modules are described.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating how the carrier module 6 is provided to the test tray 1. The test tray 1 includes a rectangular frame 2, and a plurality of supporting bars 3 spaced and arranged relative to each other, connected to the rectangular frame 2 on the inside.
Supporting pads 4 are provided to the supporting bars 3. The carrier module 6 is connected to the supporting pads 4. The number of the supporting pads 4 determines the number of the carrier modules to be provided to the test tray. The distance between the supporting pads determines the distance of the carrier modules. One packaged chip is placed in one carrier module.
As shown in FIG. 2, the packaged chip is placed in a cavity 13 of the carrier module 11. A latch 14, holding the packaged chip in position, is provided to each of both sides of the cavity 13.
One side of the latch 14 is connected to a button 17 which is supported by a spring 15. The fin 14a, which get in contact with the packaged chip, is provided to the bottom of the latch 14.
When the button 17 is pushed, a pair of the latches 14 is rotated about a pin 15. Then the fin 14a opens toward the outside of the cavity. At this point, the packaged chip is placed in the cavity 13. When the button stops being pushed, the fin 14a is moved toward the inside of the cavity 13 and is pressed against the packaged chip, thus resulting in holding the packaged chip firmly in position.
However, one packaged chip is placed in each of the carrier modules. The carrier modules are required to be as many as the packaged chips, which are to be contained in the test tray.
Furthermore, change in a size of the packaged chip requires the existing carrier modules to be replaced with other carrier modules.
It is also difficult to shorten the distance between the packaged chips placed in the carrier modules more shorter than the distance between the carrier modules.